This invention relates generally to the field of planer board fishing devices, and more particularly to a planer board lighting apparatus to identify locations of fishermen's planer boards.
Fishermen use their fishing vessels as motorized bait presenters to fish by trolling baits with the use of planer boards. Planers boards such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,583 issued to Church are devices used to trail several lines from a moving fishing vessel out to the sides of the vessel to both cover more area and to allow the multiple lines to be separated eliminating crossing of lines. The above patent and cited patents will be the reference of planer boards from this point forward.
During low light conditions, many species of fish are in their feeding patterns. Anglers troll planer boards during these times to take advantage of the aggressive fish. The location of the planer boards are important as the planer boards themselves will move toward the back of the fishing vessel once a fish has taken the bait being trolled. This movement of the planer boards is well known in the art. The planer board location is also important when making turns around structure in a particular body of water. These turns are usually made slow as to not again cross the lines connected to the planer boards. The visibility of the planer boards is also important for other boaters and watercraft.
With the locations of the planer boards being important as stated above, anglers have used multiple indication devices to verify the location of the planer board apparatuses. Reflective devices are applied to the planer boards or accompanying flags sometimes associated with the boards. Lights have also been incorporated to a specific planer board as per U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,350 B1, issued to Link. Link states the use of lights, strike indication and sound as part of a specific planer board. These are all very useful properties for a planer board apparatus to not only indicate the location of the boards, but incorporates the other features listed above.
The deficiency of the apparatus claimed in Link's patent is the properties are only useable with the specific apparatus disclosed. Planer boards have existed in many various shapes, sizes, and configurations for many years. An apparatus has not been available to an angler that allows use for all types and multiple configurations of planer boards.
Under low light conditions boaters must conform to lighting regulations for their vessel. Standard regulations state the front of the vessel must have a red light to the port and green to the starboard. When trolling, the planer boards trail and move to the outsides of the boat; therefore, becoming extensions of the moving vessel and need to be seen by oncoming watercraft to avoid collision with the equipment.
The information provided below will address the current deficiencies and provide a solution for anglers to adapt a location device to any style of planer board.